Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Dekbouncer’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Chrysanthemum  plant named ‘Dekbouncer’, characterized by its daisy-type inflorescences with white-colored ray florets and yellow green-colored disc florets; strong and upright flowering stems; fast response time; uniform flowering habit; and excellent postproduction longevity.

Botanical designation: Chrysanthemum×morifolium.

Cultivar denomination: ‘DEKBOUNCER’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemum×morifolium, commercially grown as a cut flower and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Dekbouncer’.

The new Chrysanthemum plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Hensbroek, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program is to create new fast flowering daisy-type Chrysanthemum plants with attractive ray floret coloration and excellent postproduction longevity.

The new Chrysanthemum plant originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in Hensbroek, The Netherlands on Feb. 2, 2007 of a proprietary selection of Chrysanthemum×morifolium identified as code number 50261, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Chrysanthemum×morifolium identified as code number 05.41234.02, not patented. The new Chrysanthemum plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Hensbroek, The Netherlands in October, 2007.

Asexual reproduction of the new Chrysanthemum plant by terminal cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Hensbroek, The Netherlands since November, 2007, has shown that the unique features of this new Chrysanthemum plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Dekbouncer’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Dekbouncer’ as a new and distinct Chrysanthemum plant:

-   -   1. Daisy-type inflorescences with white-colored ray florets and         yellow green-colored disc florets.     -   2. Strong and upright flowering stems.     -   3. Fast response time.     -   4. Uniform flowering habit.     -   5. Excellent postproduction longevity; plants maintain good         substance for about 25 days in an interior environment.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum are less vigorous than plants         of the female parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flower four days earlier than         plants of the female parent selection.     -   3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have larger inflorescences         than plants of the female parent selection.     -   4. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum and the female parent         selection differ in ray floret color as plants of the female         parent selection have yellow-colored ray florets.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ from plants of the male parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum are less vigorous than plants         of the male parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flower twelve days earlier         than plants of the male parent selection.     -   3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have smaller inflorescences         than plants of the male parent selection.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of Chrysanthemum×morifolium ‘Dekallwhite’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Hensbroek, The Netherlands, plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of ‘Dekallwhite’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum were less vigorous than         plants of ‘Dekallwhite’.     -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered four days earlier         than plants of ‘Dekallwhite’.     -   3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum had smaller inflorescences         than plants of ‘Dekallwhite’.     -   4. Disc florets of plants of the new Chrysanthemum were more         green in color than disc florets of ‘Dekallwhite’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Chrysanthemum plant. These photographs show the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Chrysanthemum plant.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering stem of ‘Dekbouncer’ grown as a spray-type.

The photograph on the second sheet comprises close-up views of the upper (top of photograph) and lower surfaces (bottom of photograph) of typical inflorescences and leaves of ‘Dekbouncer’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements describe plants grown during the winter in Hensbroek, The Netherlands, under commercial practice in ground beds in a glass-covered greenhouse. Plants were initially given two weeks of long day/short night treatments followed by short day/long night treatments to induce flower initiation and development. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 18° C. to 25° C., night temperatures ranged from 20° C. to 22° C. and light levels were about 7 kilolux. Plants were 7.5 weeks old when the photographs and the description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Chrysanthemum×morifolium ‘Dekbouncer’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of             Chrysanthemum×morifolium identified as code number 50261,             not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of             Chrysanthemum×morifolium identified as code number             05.41234.02, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About four days at 20° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About six days at 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 13 days             at 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About 15 days             at 20° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; light brown in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching, moderately dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Appearance/growth habit.—Herbaceous daisy-type cut flower             that is typically grown as a spray-type; vigorous growth             habit.         -   Flowering stem description.—Aspect: Erect. Strength: Strong.             Length: About 60 cm. Stem diameter: About 6 mm. Spray             diameter: About 15 cm. Internode length: About 1.5 cm.             Texture: Finely pubescent; longitudinally ridged. Color:             Close to 146C.         -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate; simple. Length:             About 6 cm to 10 cm. Width: About 4 cm to 6 cm. Apex:             Mucronulate. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Palmately lobed,             senate; sinuses parallel to convergent. Texture, upper and             lower surfaces: Pubescent, slightly rough; veins prominent             on lower surface. Venation pattern: Pinnate, reticulate.             Color: Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 137C.             Developing leaves, lower surface: Lighter than 147B. Fully             developed leaves, upper surface: Close to N137B; venation,             close to 148C. Fully developed leaves, lower surface: Close             to 147B; venation, close to 147C. Petiole: Length: About 1.5             cm to 2.5 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm to 3 mm. Texture, upper             and lower surfaces: Slightly rough. Color, upper and lower             surfaces: Close to 147C. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance.—Daisy-type inflorescence form with obovate to             oval-shaped ray florets and tubular disc florets;             inflorescences borne perpendicular to axillary laterals             (peduncles); ray and disc florets develop acropetally on a             capitulum.         -   Fragrance.—Moderately fragrant.         -   Flowering response.—Under natural conditions, plant flower             in the autumn/winter in the Northern Hemisphere; at other             times of the year, inflorescence initiation and development             can be induced under short day/long night conditions (at             least 13.5 hours of darkness); early and uniform flowering             response; plants exposed to two weeks of long day/short             night conditions after planting followed by photoinductive             short day/long night conditions flower about 37 days later             when grown as a spray-type.         -   Postproduction longevity.—In an interior environment,             inflorescences and foliage will maintain good color and             substance for about 25 days; inflorescences persistent.         -   Quantity of inflorescences.—Grown as a spray type, about 10             to 15 inflorescences develop.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 4 cm. Depth (height):             About 1 cm. Disc diameter: About 8 mm. Receptacle height:             About 4 mm. Receptacle diameter: About 4 mm. Receptacle             color: Close to 145A to 145B.         -   Inflorescence buds.—Shape: Flattened spherical. Height:             About 3 mm. Diameter: About 6 mm. Color: Close to 137C.         -   Ray florets.—Length: About 1.2 cm to 1.8 cm. Width: About 6             mm to 9 mm. Shape: Obovate to oval. Apex: Rounded to             slightly emarginate. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; satiny.             Number per inflorescence: About 25 arranged in about three             whorls. Aspect: About 30° to 45° from horizontal. Color:             When opening, upper and lower surfaces: Close to NN155D.             Fully opened, upper and lower surfaces: Close to NN155D.         -   Disc florets.—Shape: Fused tubular, erect and elongated.             Apex: Dentate. Length: About 3 mm to 4 mm. Diameter: About             1 mm. Number per inflorescence: About 150, massed at the             center of the receptacle. Color: When opening: Apex: Close             to 145A. Mid-section: Close to 145D. Base: Close to 150D.             Fully opened: Apex: Close to 154B. Mid-section: Close to             145D. Base: Close to 150D.         -   Involucral bracts.—Length: About 5 mm to 8 mm. Width: About             2 mm to 5 mm. Shape: Ovate. Apex: Rounded. Base: Rounded to             truncate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:             Smooth, glabrous. Number per inflorescence: About 20 to 25             arranged in about two whorls. Color, upper and lower             surfaces: Close to N137A.         -   Peduncles.—Length, terminal peduncle: About 2 cm to 3 cm.             Length, fourth peduncle: About 4 cm to 5 cm. Length, seventh             peduncle: About 6 cm to 7 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm.             Strength: Moderately strong. Angle: About 30° from the             flowering stem axis. Texture: Pubescent. Color: Close to             146B.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Not observed. Gynoecium:             Present on both ray and disc florets. Style length: About 3             mm to 4 mm. Style color: Greenish. Stigma color: Greenish             yellow.         -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production have not been             observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common to     Chrysanthemums has not been observed on plants grown under     commercial conditions. 

1. A new and distinct Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Dekbouncer’ as illustrated and described. 